Philadelphia’s Corey Regensberg, a.k.a. Moon Bounce, is back after the excellent Darn Your Best Frock EP with a brand new track: the squeaky, spastic and sublime “Telephone” »

Moon Bounce – Telephone

What I loved about much of the music on Darn Your Best Frock was how intriguingly dissonant yet ultimately endearing it was. Regensberg has a way of creating truly unique songs and melodies from odd sounds and pitches, much in the way Four Tet does… indeed “Telephone” sounds almost ripped from the pages of Four Tet’s biography, but that’s hugely complimentary because his is a sound that’s pretty hard to match.

“Telephone” comes from Moon Bounce’s upcoming debut LP, arriving sometime this spring.

We haven’t heard much from Fanfarlo after their hypeworthy 2009 debut Reservoir (maybe we weren’t looking) — but now all of a sudden it’s 2012 and they’ve got a sophomore album and new, very weird friends. Here’s Yeasayer’s bizarre remix of “Shiny Things”, the lead single from the upcoming Rooms Filled With Light. Czech it:

Fanfarlo – Shiny Things (Yeasayer Remix)

If you haven’t seen the video yet, you might just assume that Yeasayer have really jazzed up “Shiny Things”. I mean, Fanfarlo is like the bastard spawn of Arcade Fire and Beirut? Nah, that was the old Fanfarlo (and hey, we’d never complain) — they’ve apparently reinvented themselves on LP two. So kudos to them and kudos to Yeasayer for, alas, jazzing it up. This “Shiny Things” remix is unstoppable.

Rooms Filled With Light is out Feb 28th via Canvasback.

31 year-old Graham Hill has had his fair share of experiences and successes. He’s performed with Beach House and Papercuts on tour, and even contributed to Beach House’s excellent Teen Dream. Now out on his own with his Roman Ruins project, Graham shows he’s more than a live/studio drummer… so, so much more than that.

Roman Ruins – Mighty Love

“Mighty Love” is the first single from Roman Ruins’ debut album Homebuilding, a frenetic, eclectic and awesomely bizarre cut that reminds me of what I’d hoped Here We Go Magic would have done through the promise of their self-titled 2009 debut. Quasi-tropical percussion and subtly energizing bass lines sneak in and out of the track while layer upon layer of everything under the sun (vocals, rainsticks, synth squeaks, oohs and aahs) flesh out the rest. Part high life, part Beach Boys, part post-Animal-Collective musical hieroglyphics, it’s exactly the sort of music I get all giddy for in 2012… which is why Homebuilding has rushed near the top of my albums-to-watch list. Can’t wait to hear the rest.

Homebuilding is out via Gold Robot on February 28th. Preorder your copy on limited edition “milky white” vinyl (only 250 pressed) before they’re gone.

COOLRUNNINGS – the rockers from Knoxville, TN – are back at it! I remember watching these guys during Floating Fest last year and being blown away by their live set (don’t get me started on the insane dancing dude with a fanny pack stage right). It was so loud the PA was definitely in pain afterwards. New track “Spirit of the High” is a southern rock fueled jam, complete with organs and dark guitars reminiscent of The Doors.

COOLRUNNINGS – Spirit of the High

Sometimes I think of Yellow Ostrich like a child. Having first heard the work of Alex Schaaf in his college band The Chairs years ago, it’s been a frenetic evolution to follow through the years as Yellow Ostrich took form. Bedroom demos, to one man shows, to breaking through with the tenderly delivered The Mistress – watching Schaaf sign with Barsuk this past year is not only great for him (hi $$, missed u) but even better for his music. Check out new single “Marathon Runner” from his upcoming release Strange Land.

Yellow Ostrich – Marathon Runner

Everything I’ve loved (and hopefully you too) about Yellow Ostrich is still there, it just sounds better. Guitars are crisper, mixes are better, and his vocals are cleaner. So often you see bands sign to a label and lose the charm they possessed when creating music all by their lonesome. It’s refreshing to see Schaaf bring the charm of his solo sessions into the enhanced fold a full band and proper recording studio. Can’t wait for the rest of Strange Land.

A good friend of mine just started a record a label called The Blue Rider and sent me her first planned release. I don’t know if this is beginners luck of she’s just that good, but Jagwar Ma are incredibly catchy and full of good vibes. Check out debut single “Come Save Me”:

Jagwar Ma claim to be from Antarctica (with a hint of Sydney/Berlin/Swaziland) which probably isn’t true but I’m choosing to believe it. Their music is anything but dark and cold, snagging sounds from a retro window of the 50s and 60s while mixing them an upbeat, dance tempo that’s teeters more on the side of tropical rhythm than vintage disco. Penguinwave? Icebergcore? Snowgaze? I have no idea, aside from the fact I love it.

After a few days of being locked out due to some security issues (I refused the x-ray scan at LDR airport last week), I’m finally back in the swing and ready to empty out the backlog of musics clogging my brain. First up, a new jam that CSLSX sent over last week titled “Aeromancer”.

With a production quality that is top notch, these folks from Philly enlisted the help of Mountain Man for a track teetering on the line of fuzzy pop and wobbly funk that adds another layer to the collective’s creative abilities. They’re working on some exciting projects in the coming months, including remixes, splits, and arranging orchestral strings. While that sounds all over the place, I think they’ll be hitting all of the sweet spots.

Some of our favorite Florida homies, Saskatchewan, have strayed from their hazy, dream-pop roots with this cover of The Weeknd’s “The Morning”. Czech it:

Saskatchewan – The Morning (The Weeknd Cover)

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As you may or may not have known, IGIF was hacked for the second time last Friday, hence the hiatus until today’s post. As usual timing is a bitch, as I left for Sundance a day later. We’re back, though, better than ever, and will continue our normal posting routine.

For those of you who don’t know about MAP, it’s a collection of music blogs from around the world who band together once a month to shed light on up-and-comers from their home countries. It’s sort of like the WTO without the human rights violations.

For the very first MAP of 2012, we’re excited to share a track from one of our favorite new artists, Fantasy Island. Check out their song “Avenue” below and find the rest of the MAP entries after the jump.

UNITED STATES: I Guess I’m Floating
Fantasy Island – Avenue
One of 2012′s more promising American groups is Fantasy Island, a Los Angeles duo responsible for a pair of intriguing, soulful jams since their formation in late 2011. They’ve got a new single out on UK label Stroll On Records and a debut album on the horizon. With a song like Avenue (and the equally fantastic Breaking A Heart) it’s hard to keep wild expectations in check… guess we’ll just have to wait and see what the rest of the year cooks up.

Click here to check out the rest of the MAP mix.

Grizzly Bear’s Daniel Rossen will release his debut solo EP Silent Hour/Golden Mile on March 20th through Warp Records. Here’s a cut from that upcoming release:

Daniel Rossen – Saint Nothing

From the very first few piano notes and chord changes you can tell it’s from the Grizzly Bear camp, although very quickly Rossen establishes the minimalist pace and tone. Things meander and wave until the last minute and a half, when the song blossoms with sparse vocal melodies, horns, and checkered percussion. More of a slight touch on this one, but still as deft as you’d expect.

Perhaps the EP should have been called Sea Legs… to quote Rossen about the release:

All the sudden, I had no idea what to do or what to make or anything… These songs were a way for me to figure that out again.

Preorder Silent Hour/Golden Mile at Bleep.com »